terclim by ICS banner
IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Heatwaves and grapevine yield in the Douro region, crop model simulations

Heatwaves and grapevine yield in the Douro region, crop model simulations

Abstract

Heatwaves or extreme heat events can be particularly harmful to agriculture. Grapevines grown in the Douro winemaking region are particularly exposed to this threat, due to the specificities of the already warm and dry climatic conditions. Furthermore, climate change simulations point to an increase in the frequency of occurrence of these extreme heat events, therefore posing a major challenge to winegrowers in the Mediterranean type climates. The current study focuses on the application of the STICS crop model to assess the potential impacts of heatwaves in grapevine yields over the Douro valley winemaking region. For this purpose, STICS was applied to grapevines using high-resolution weather, soil and terrain datasets over the Douro. To assess the impact of heatwaves, the weather dataset (1989-2005) was artificially modified, generating periods with anomalously high temperatures (+5 ºC), at certain onset dates and with specific durations (from 5 to 9 days). The model was run with this modified weather dataset and results were compared to the original unmodified runs. The results show that heatwaves can have a very strong impact on grapevine yields, strongly depending on the onset dates and duration of the heatwaves. The highest negative impacts may result in a decrease in the yield by up to -35% in some regions. Despite some uncertainties inherent to the current modelling assessment, the present study highlights the negative impacts of heatwaves on viticultural yields in the Douro region, which is critical information for stakeholders within the winemaking sector for planning suitable adaptation measures.

DOI:

Publication date: May 31, 2022

Issue: Terclim 2022

Type: Poster

Authors

Helder Fraga1, João Santos1, Nicolo Clemente1, Teresa R. Freitas1, Aureliano Malheiro1, José Moutinho-Pereira1, Henrique Trindade1, Lia Dinis1, João Cerejeira2, Rita Sousa2, Cristina Carlos1,3, Igor Gonçalves3, Natacha Fontes4, António Graça4, Domingos Lopes1,5 and Aida Carvalho5,6

1Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, CITAB, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal
2NIPE Centre for Research in Economics and Management, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
3Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Viticultura Duriense, Edifício Centro de Excelência da Vinha e do Vinho Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia de Vila Real, Régia Douro Park, Portugal
4Sogrape Vinhos S.A., Avintes, Portugal
5Fundação Côa Parque, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Portugal 
6Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, CiTUR, Bragança, Portugal

Contact the author

Keywords

heat waves, viticulture, yield, Douro, Portugal, climate change

Tags

IVES Conference Series | Terclim 2022

Citation

Related articles…

Selecting varieties best adapted to current and future climate conditions based on ripening traits

Aim: The aim of this study was to quantify key berry sugar accumulation traits and characterize their plasticity in response to climate variation from data collected from different cultivars over seven years from an experimental vineyard.

Arsenic in berries and its correlation with natural soil content: experience in Trentino (Italy)

l lavoro presenta l’evoluzione dei contenuti di arsenico nelle uve durante lo sviluppo e la maturazione, e la sua distribuzione nell’acino; verifica inoltre la relazione tra i contenuti di As nelle uve

Estudio comparativo del potencial enológico de dos varietales tintos cultivados en la isla de Tenerife

En el presente trabajo se ha realizado un estudio comparativo entre los varietales tintos Listán negro y Negramolle en la Denominación de Origen Tacoronte-Acentejo. Se han determinado durante dos años

Investigating the impact of grape exposure and UV radiations on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. Tardif grapes under field trial conditions

Rotundone is the main aroma compound responsible for peppery notes in wines whose biosynthesis is negatively affected by heat and drought. Through the alteration of precipitation regime and the increase in temperature during maturation, climate change is expected to affect wine peppery typicality. In this context there is a demand for developing sustainable viticultural strategies to enhance rotundone accumulation or limit its degradation. It was recently proposed that ultraviolet (UV) radiations could stimulate rotundone production. The aim of this study was to investigate under field trial conditions the impact of grape exposure and UV treatments on rotundone in Vitis vinifera L. Tardif, an almost extinct grape variety from south-west France that can express particularly high rotundone levels. Four different treatments were compared in 2021 to a control treatment using a randomised complete block design with three replications per treatment. Grape exposure was manipulated through early or late defoliation. Leaf and laterals shoots were removed at Eichorn Lorenz growth stages 32 or 34 on the morning-sun side of the canopy. During grape maturation, UV radiations were either reduced by 99% by installing UV radiation-shielding sheets, or applied four times using the Boxilumix™ non thermal device (Asclepios Tech, Tournefeuille) with the aim of activating plant signalling pathway. Loggers displayed in solar radiation shields were used to assess the effect of such shielding sheets on air temperature within the bunch zone. The composition of grapes subjected to these treatments will be soon analysed for their rotundone content and basic classical laboratory analyses. Grapes will be harvested to elaborate wines under standardized small-scale vinification conditions (60kg) that will be assessed by a trained sensory panel.

Genomic perspective of Lachancea thermotolerans in wine bioacidification

We have sequenced two commercial strains of Lachancea thermotolerans (Lt) from the company Lallemand: Laktia™ y Blizz™.